Case of Alimjan Yimit, charged with unspecified crimes, is returned to state prosecutors.

By Sarah Page

Court officials in Xinjiang, China returned the case of Uyghur Christian Alimjan Yimit, charged with unspecified crimes, to state prosecutors this week citing “insufficient evidence.”

Police arrested Alimjan on January 12 for “endangering national security” but refused to explain the charges to his family.

The court allowed Alimjan’s two lawyers to be present on Tuesday (May 27) but banned Alimjan’s wife Gulnur from entering the courtroom due to the “sensitivity” of the case.

According to a China Aid Association (CAA) report, the trial began at 10 a.m. and finished at 7:30 p.m., with a three-hour recess in the afternoon. After deliberations the court returned the case to state prosecutors citing “insufficient evidence” against Alimjan.

The trial, originally scheduled for April, was delayed while Han Chinese lawyers had court documents – including interrogation records from the Xinjiang State Security Bureau (SSB) – translated from Uyghur into Chinese, CAA reported on May 8.

Alimjan’s name appears as Alimujiang Yimiti in Chinese documents.

During Alimjan’s employment with two foreign-owned companies, officials from the SSB regularly called him in for interrogation, forbidding him to discuss the questioning with anyone.

Last September, officials closed the business Alimjan worked for and accused him of using it as a cover for “preaching Christianity among people of Uyghur ethnicity.”

Alimjan, once a Muslim, converted to Christianity more than 10 years ago and became active in the growing Uyghur church. Friends believe his faith is the real reason for his arrest.

Wife Proclaims Innocence

Gulnur has consistently proclaimed her husband’s innocence. She recently told CAA staff that as an agricultural worker, Alimjan had no access to information affecting national security and therefore could not be guilty of leaking or abusing such information.

Gulnur traveled from the provincial capital Urumqi to the trial venue in Kashgar – a distance of some 915 miles (1,474 kilometers) – or 24 hours’ travel by desert highway, but was unable to attend the trial.

She has not seen her husband for five months, according to one Compass source who requested anonymity. One of Alimjan’s lawyers, however, assured her that Alimjan was coping well with his imprisonment.

The same source said Gulnur was extremely concerned for her husband as state officials had reportedly threatened execution or up to six years in prison for Alimjan.

Local sources were adamant that Alimjan was neither a separatist nor a terrorist but had consistently affirmed his loyalty to the Chinese government. (See Compass Direct News, “Unrest in China Raises Fears of Execution of Christian,” April 9.)

Another Uyghur Christian, Osman Imin, arrested on November 19, 2007, remains in detention, accused of “leaking state secrets.” In Chinese documents, Osman’s name appears as Wusiman Yaming.

Compass has confirmed that a third Uyghur believer arrested earlier this year also remains in detention in Xinjiang.

Copyright 2008 Compass Direct News